Dame Grease Talks DMX’s New EP

His upcoming EP, <I>The Weigh In</i>, is like training leading up to his album, <I>Undisputed</i>, which X hopes is his big return to the heavyweight division of MCs.

"There's a big fight coming up," Dame Grease, longtime producer and collaborator of the Dog, told XXLMag.com. "X hasn't put out an album in six years. We got to work with the fans because a lot of artists oversaturate the game, so before the fight, we got to go to the weigh in and make sure our muthafuckin' weight is up."

<I>The Weigh In</i> EP, which counts features from Snoop Dogg and R&B singer Tyrese and an interlude from Lil Wayne, is set to hit the net May 15 for free download, while the Dog's album, <I>Undisputed</i>, is tentatively scheduled to drop June 26. The LP will feature a voice sample of the late Notorious B.I.G. as well as contribution from Machine Gun Kelly, whom X took a liking to after the two met at Saltmine Studios in Arizona last year. The two already collaborated on the record, “I Don’t Dance.”

Nevertheless, for The Weigh In, Grease believed X was better suited for an EP format, rather than mixtape, at this stage of his career.

"DMX is way too big an artist to do a mixtape," Grease said. "When we were recording the album, we put aside select tracks that we were going to use as an EP, especially for the streets, for the fans. They're going to love it."

As busy as X is, it's been a busy time for Grease too, as the producer welcomed his baby son, Caesar Earl Blackman, into the world on Monday night (May 7).—Mark Lelinwalla